


The Prince & The Scientist

by Madison



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood, Dark, Drama, F/M, Manipulation, Murder, Slavery, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-07-29 00:34:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7663243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madison/pseuds/Madison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was cold and detached with only one goal in mind. She was forced to do his bidding but she refused to bend to his will. A/U Vegetasei.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello peeps!  
> You might remember this story as "Full Moon Shining Upon them".  
> I wrote it a few years back and I thought that now that I was picking it back up - and since it was ONLY three chapters...I thought it could use a re-write before I add more chapters.
> 
> It's been so long that, it'll help me get back into the flow, see whee I'm going - and yea. It's just easier all around!  
> so I re-wrote (no, I didn't go through each chapter, deleting words, I actually re-typed the whole thing, differently). 
> 
> Enjoy.

Blackness swallowed the sky whole while the impeccable carmine ground was disturbed by a single foot dressed in a long white boot. Stars no longer illuminated the skyline or the vast horizon of the universe as more and more worlds vanished from existence. The heel of the foot dug further into the soil, denting it with each footsteps that was taken. Another foot followed and soon enough there was a trail of footsteps. Onyx eyes flickered in the night, observing, hunting, waiting. To a mere fool, this planet would be assumed to be lifeless, void of any form of life that could speak or breed - but he was not a mere fool. He knew of the people who lurked in the shadows and lived and trembled in fear. People who wasted their time consuming unnecessary goods, relishing in the treasures they could not keep.

His people were different.

Possessions, desires; they were trivial. The need for violence ran through their blood; they wanted to take everything, they wanted to vanquish all that lived. A good fight sent their blood pumping and their pride pumping. _That and food_. As long as the needs for blood and food were satisfied, saiyans were pleased. _In theory anyway_.

An important aspect of their lives had been transformed during recent years.

In all logistic, those needs were currently being filled but - as a saiyan he was receiving no fulfillment out of them. The most important trait of a saiyan was his pride and _something_ was attempting to eradicate the saiyan pride - actually all the saiyans together. A ruthless monster, a lizard from the deepest part of space; Frieza. They tried to break him, they tried to rip his useless little tail from his body but he crushed them as though they were nothing. A race of powerful, ruthless overtaker warriors, and they were taken like they were nothing. But _oh_ they remained quite valuable and that led them to being spared - as long as they bent to his will and obeyed his every commands like trained monkeys.

They did what he asked and in exchanged, they lived.

No one wanted to die squish to death. They wanted to die on the battlefield and this way - that goal was still attainable. There was no honor in being killed like an ant. They refused to coward. They fought - or they fought.

There was no other choice.

Hope was extinguish and most resigned themselves to the new fate that was presented to them. _He did not_. There was, buried somewhere in old books, a legend, one that could dethrone the vile lizard. _Supersaiyan_. A saiyan who lived long ago, who had managed to unlock a level of power that was unheard of - one that made him unbeatable. It was but a mere legend, a whisper left hanging around the streets but he believed it. The reason behind his confidence was simple; he would be the next one to achieve that level.

He would be the next supersaiyan.

It lived through him, through his blood. He was after all, Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans. His father, the King, might have failed but he would not be repeating the same mistakes; the power _would_ be his.

The day the lizard landed on their planet was the day his life was transformed. His entire life became about training - except when he was sent on purge missions. _However,_ they provided some fort of training as well, and he found them acceptable. _Why_ should anyone live while his people were treated like slaves? If he had to kill every single entity in the world to achieve his goal, he would. Their lives meant nothing to him. From the moment he woke in the morning, when the sun was barely cracking the horizon, until he passed out of exhausting, he trained. His body had taken a toll, and his growth had stunted a bit but the sacrifices were worth it; he did not need height, he needed strength. Leisure was not a word he knew; he needed to save his world. Once he would reach the status of supersaiyan, he would vanquish Frieza and they would follow him as he would become the strongest being in the universe.

For the time being, his entire life was a lie. He had to swallow his pride, hold his tongue, and pretend to be obedient to the disgusting lizard. Either he killed someone or he martyred his own body. There was no escape, no second choice.

As prideful as he was, he was not daft.

He made progress, his ki grew exponentially - but it was not sufficient. Each time he grew stronger, so did Frieza. If he wanted to surpass him, he had to get stronger _faster_. If not, his dream would be nothing more than that - _a dream_. A futile one. And so, he searched for a solution - and found one.

During many years they scouted the universe, searching every corner, every planet - no matter how weak - in the hopes of finding one useless race that could offer them what he desperately sought. Nearly all attempts turned out to be a failure - except this one.

At least he hoped so.

If those morons had forced him to take these risks without a reward, he would slit their throats.

Communication was rather difficult at the moment since Frieza _loved_ to watch their every move. Of course, this little meeting could not possibly happen on Vegeta-sei. Instead, Vegeta took a little _detour_ as he returned home from purging yet another world. He was meeting this _scientist_ on his home planet. He could not let someone else make this decision for him. Vegeta had observed and murdered his share of _so-called_ scientists in the past - he was not above doing it again. He could spot the liars, the useless and the morons from miles away. This one would be no different. Where the situation complicated itself was if indeed, he was worth something. If Frieza found out about it, Vegeta had no doubts that he would inhalite their world. He had to be discreet and he could not afford to leave a trail.

But he would get to that _if_ this scientist was worth his time.

All he needed was someone useful he could hold in the palm of his hands. Usually it was not too difficult; those weak races reacted well when you threatened the fate of their entire world. One little blackmail and they would drop to their knees, ready to worship him.

As he finally reached his destination - a meagre forest - Nappa was there to greet him. He towered over him with his height, his lack of hair strikingly noticeable besides Vegeta's imposing mane. He kneeled in front of his Prince and Vegeta gestured him up with the wave of the hand.

"Make it quick." Frieza would notice he was off course if he took too long. At least the lizard barely spent any time on their home planet.

Nappa stroke his moustache, trying to hide the faint scent of fear that coated his body. Despite the fact that he had helped raise the Prince, he still had yet to figure out how to talk to him without infuriating him. "Well, you see. There's a bit of a problem with the scientist." He winced as he watched Vegeta's expression shift. " _She's feisty_."

She _?_ It was the first time they brought him a female scientist. His _elite_ saiyan was telling him that a whole group of saiyan could not handle a mere _she_? Maybe if she had been saiyan but… "What is this planet?"

"Earth."

He had never heard of it which already answered one question for him; they were weaklings. To confirm his theory, he snatched a folder that Nappa was keeping tucked away beneath his arm. He _assumed_ it contained information about those _earthlings_. He let his eyes travel over the sheets, quickly flipping them over one after the other. _Their ki was not even worth mentioning_. How in the world did she get the upper hand on them? Pathetic. Why was he surrounded by idiots?

"What do we know about her?"

Nappa shrugged. "We visited Earth on a whim. We went to this planet and they had these trainings bots. She and her father made them." At first they did not think much of them but after a lengthy investigation of their home and their invention, they decided that they had some potential.

"Her father? Her father was there and you took _her_?" Surely an old man was easier to transport that this apparently feisty woman. Elders tended to be easier to control than the youngsters.

"About that - we tried."

"And?"

"And his daughter came barging in, sceeching that her father was not to go in space. He shouldn't risk his life to work for some ruthless monkeys." He cleared his throat. "Her words." In his humble opinion, the best thing would have been to snap her neck on the spot. However, he had not wanted to risk endangering the potential they had discovered and instead he maintained his self-control. _But_ , if Vegeta decided that she was not worth it, he would snap her neck for her insolence.

"And she came with you?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. She sounded like a loud mouth but he did not understand why that meant they could not control her.

"You know, we threatened to snap her father's neck - to blow up their planet." It was quite easy to get people to say yes when you held the fate of their loved ones in the palm of your hand. He did miss that rush of power. Frieza was controlling them too much, clipping their wings.

"Is she as good as the old man?"

"He assured us that she was better than him."

There was only one aspect left; he had to inspect her himself. It was time to see if her father's claims were true. He moved pass Nappa and headed towards three guards that were forming a circle around someone who had a ki of 13. _He assumed it was her_. He could feel the guards twitching; they were dying to kill her. After all, it was saiyan instincts; if someone did not bend to their will, they killed them. Once he was near, they cleared themselves out of the way, revealing the prize from Earth. The woman was sprawled on the ground, strange aqua blue hair covering her eyes. Once his feet reached her field of vision, she tilted her head upwards. Cerulean eyes stared at him, fury twinkling in them as she glared him down. Her ridiculous hair was tangled - which he assumed came from her fighting the guards every step of the way. It appeared that she also learned her lesson; there was a purple bruise coloring her left cheek while a deep cut on her upper lip was still spurting blood. At least they had gotten a few shots in.

He knew her glare was meant to be imposing but he simply found it foolish.

"Prince Vegeta, her name is Bulma she-"

But he never let the guard finish. Instead, he dismissed him with a wave of the hand. Honestly, he did not give a _fuck_ about her. The essence of his interest in her was solely based on what she could do - not who she was. He closed the distance between them, his onyx eyes narrowing as he observed her. If it were not for her exotic hair and eye color, the basic anatomy of her body resembled that of a saiyan - and it was far from being a statement he could make without great shame and disgust. Despite the bile that rose up his throat at the thought, he had to admit it could be useful if they had to sneak her in. She could be easily disguised.

There was something in those blue orbs of hers; an urge. If she had possessed the power to do so, she would have rip his throat apart. He could see the strained of her jaw as she bite her tongue to hold herself back. All the other scientists were shaking like leaves, begging for their lives. They were cowards. Surprisingly, she was the opposite and in a weird twist of fate, she was the weakest of them all, the one with the most to fear. Then again, feeble creatures were oh so often idiots. She was not brilliant enough to know she should be fearing for her own life. He finally looked away from her as he was left with mixed emotions. Her attitude displeased him because she showed a great lack of respect but at the same time, she believed in her skills. She thought she was good enough to be kept alive.

"What was the deal?" he asked to no one in particular.

A short hair saiyan moved forward, a smirk on his face. "She does as she is told and we do not destroy her planet."

Another lie. It was what they said to get them to come aboard, but it was nothing more than mere lies. If she failed, her planet would perish. If she succeeded, it would perish as well. He could not leave a trail behind. What if someone used the knowledge to reproduce his results? That would not serve him. In either cases, this planet would blow up but if the idiot found some comfort in the lie… it would only make the job easier.

As he looked at Nappa, he could feel her frustration rising; he could ask her these questions directly but it was much more enjoyable to watch her squirm. The less he referred to her, the less important she would realize she was. To him, she would be nothing more than slave building the machine he needed to achieve his goal. He had seen some scribbles in the folder that talked of a _gravity machine_. He wanted to know more.

"Show me," he demanded, referring to her work. He wanted to see the actual work or at least blue prints and plans.

As he backed away from her, she realized he was _still not_ addressing her. Bulma felt her blood boil and she nearly let her tongue slip; it had taken everything she had to not spit in his face. He had taken no account of her as though she was completely invisible. He was lucky they were still in near distance of her family and her home or she would have taken a swing at him. Then again, his display of rudeness was hardly a surprise after what his people did to her home. What kind of useless, impolite, savage apes barged into people's home and demanded whatever they wanted - threatening to blow up a whole planet if they did not get their way?

 _Savages_.

They had even proven their threat by blowing a third of the city away! At that point, she had begun picking her words a bit more carefully but it was already too late; she was fuming. She did not follow them because she wanted to but because despite her rage, she understood it was her only option. Especially considering that it was her father they wished to take in the first place. She was a much better choice than he was; the years had rendered him soft and he was too old to be under such a leve lof stress. She could do the same thing for them as he could - except she could handle herself better. Then again, she had not missed the disgusting, perverted looks those monkeys had been given her. Perhaps the word safety was no longer something that existed for her. _If they thought she was going down without a fight_ …

She was not here to be a hero, she was here to save herself and save her family. She did not give a flying fuck on about how selfish it sounded - _she_ was the one putting her life on the line, not the other earthlings.

Plus, her amount of problems had just risen up; she thought it was just the perverts but she had been wrong. She had been feisty enough for them to keep their hands off of her but he was not like the others. The size of his ego nearly caused her to suffocate. If he had questions about _her_ inventions then he should be asking _her_ \- not them. She was not even sure they were able to read blueprints - they clearly did not know the first thing about brain power and technology.

Disgusting, stinking, caveman, idiotic, moronic, brain dead monkeys!

She allowed her glance to roam in his direction while he observed and judged her blueprints. Fury rose in her chest, crimson colors forming on her cheeks. She hated everything about him; his stupid gravity defying hair, his shortness and most of all, his arrogance. She did not care if a Prince was supposed to be arrogant, he was a moronic prideful idiot and looking at him set her blood on fire. If it were not for the wrath that lived in her, she might have shed a few tears. It had not settled in yet, but she was about to be rip from her world, from her parents and everything else she knew. They would take everything from her ands he would be left at their complete mercy. They needed her but how badly was she required? What if their patience ran out and they snapped her neck?

They knew they could use her father as a back up option. She was not essential.

His survival was the reason she had kept her mouth shut this long.

All that she loved could disappear in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, Vegeta carefully folded back the blueprints, not wanting to damage the invention that might grant him his supersaiyan level. Once it was done, he gave it back to Nappa and re-focus his attention on the blue hair woman who had yet to stop glaring at him. Did she think he would be intimidated by her? Perhaps she thought she might gain some respect out of hiding her fear? All of it was wrong. If she thought she was hiding her emotions from him, she was wrong. He could smell it all; from the rage, the panic to the tiny layer of fear hidden beneath it all. The only reason he let her get away with the glaring was because so far her work looked decent. He never saw anything of the sort before and if it could do what she claimed it could - then he would at the very least maybe let her live.

 _Actually_ , no, he would not.

But he would make sure her death was a quick one. That was enough kindness.

"You. Woman."

Her eyes widened - showing the white - while spit built up in the corners of her mouth. _Woman?_ If he thought she was going to respond to him referring to her like a dog, he had another thing coming his way. If he was finally going to acknowledge the fact that she existed, he would have to do it properly. Did he not know that his title or his strength meant nothing to her? Her neck corded and her nostrils flared while she crossed her arms in front of her chest, lifting her ample breasts up, nearly causing a spill out of her blue shirt.

The vein on Vegeta's forehead began throbbing as he closed his eyes. His action caused a general wince in the population that surrounded him. If there was one way to tick him off, it was by ignoring him. He would never let a low life like her _think_ she was better than him. He would remind her that she was nothing more than scum - a bug he could wipe from underneath his shoe. He did not care. His hand was crisped into a fist as he reduced the distance between them.

Once Bulma finally noticed his proximity, there was a struggle raging inside of her head. Although she would never let him know that his presence was quite intimidating, the darkness swallowing his eyes was terrifying. It appeared that one mere action was sufficient to push him over the edge. The little Prince was not accustomed to people _not_ begging at his feet and it was tempting her. He could kill her with a snap of the fingers but it was tempting to see how far she could push him. It was his fault; he should not have revealed his triggers this easily. If he thought he could come, take her and threaten her planet while she came willingly - he had another thing coming.

He _chuckled_. Except, it was dark, sending a threat looming over her head. It was time he let her in on one of his secrets. " _I can smell your emotions_ , Woman."

Her muscles began rigid and her posture stiffened while she turned her head away, hoping to hide away the emotions covering her face. Her knowledge of saiyans was next to zero but she could make a mental note to be cautious of their _stupid_ nose. Her surprised caused her to remain unaware of the threat that lured in his voice. He was a desperate man with nothing to lose - those were the ones who went to awful lengths to obtain what they sought.

It crossed her mind to turn around to shield her body from him but before she could even consider her, he was right behind her. She could not see him but she could feel his overwhelming process lurking over her small frame. They _were_ murderers which they had proved by killing innocent bystanders. Was her pride standing in her way of figuring that out? Her heart hammered in her chest, painfully pressing against her rib cage. As soon as it echoed through Vegea's ears, he decided that it was his favorite sound. Nothing was better than as a scared prey. His fingers itched as he was dying to wrap his glove covered fingers around her slender neck. He wanted to see the life disappear from her strange blue eyes and he wanted to watch her lifeless body dropping to the ground.

But he restrained himself.

And it was not only because he might need her but also because he was intrigued by her. There might be a scent of fear coating her skin but - the fact remained that she kept a stoic expression on her features, challenging him.

"How long will it take you to build this?" he inquired with a firm tone. He might be intrigued but it did not mean he was about to go easy on her. Once she completed her task, he would give her the proper punishment for her insolence.

Bulma tried to avoid glancing his way out of spite - there was no way she was going to give him an inch of power over her. "By myself, a month."

"Too long," he quickly answered. "How many people do you required to complete it in two weeks?"

 _He had to be fucking kidding her_. "Two weeks?" She scoffed. "Ten people." No, wait. He was a monkey. She had to be more precise. " _That know what they're doing_."

Vegeta wanted to cave her little skull in; who the fuck did she think she was - ordering him around and disrespecting saiyans? _Today was her lucky day_ but she could not expect to be this lucky twice. If she ever even gave him a reason to think she was not good enough to finish the job, he was going to torture the fuck out of her and then skin her alive.

"You'll have your team, but you have two weeks. No more," he warned before turning his back on her. "You'll start tomorrow at dawn."

Now, he could do the one thing he had been dreaming of doing since he met the annoying, impolite woman; he could strike her. He put his hand straight and then, in one good swipe, he hit her at the right spot between her neck and her shoulder. Immediately she fell unconscious to the ground and already he could feel the tension in his neck lessening. " _Bring her home_."

That woman would be the death of him.

How was he _not_ going to kill her?

-T-

_That fucking violent monkey_.

She could not recall a single thing about her trip in space. All she knew was that she woke up in a locked room that contained barely anything more than a bed. It took them _hours_ to even unlock it and even longer to bring her food. She did not know how the saiyan appetite worked, but as a human she required food if she were to live. They were about to learn that. Although she was disappointed by the lack of windows - closing her off to the world - she was grateful that she was _alone_ in her room. She did not want one of those beasts watching over her, doing whatever he pleased.

Except, now she had to build a machine for those monkeys - and she had to make them stronger. Why? She did not know. Because despite the fact that they ripped her away from her life, she was not allowed to ask any questions and she did not deserve any sort of explanations. Instead, they were expecting her to be a good, quiet slave. _They had another thing coming._ Bulma knew it was better for her survival to follow that path, but her mind wouldn't allow it. Though she might have to put a damper on the whole fighting back thing. At least until her injuries were healed. Her lip still hurt and her cheek was killing her.

Despite her current _acceptance,_ she would not let them break her.

She would devise a plan, a way to escape - or a way to kill them all. As her first clenched, she felt a throbbing in her head. Her anger had zapped all of her energy. The way she dealt with her emotions was through anger - she refused to be weak in front of people. However, it was becoming quite a challenge to maintain the facade even if she knew she had to be strong. She did not know how long she would be here, separated of everything she knew and everyone she loved. She had to remind herself that she did it to spare her father's life. Although, now that she had time to dwell on the matter, she wondered if her sacrifice was even worth it. They did not appear to be the kind of people who honored their promises.

Bulma had to ignore all of this - her focus should be on sleeping. The Prince seemed to be a man of his words when it came to threats and she was convinced he would barge in her room at the crack of dawn - anything to annoy her. Although, she could hardly see how she was supposed to sleep on that tiny cot. Then again, she had worked while completely exhausted before. It should not interfere with her work.

This place was dangerous and the safest place for her was the bedroom. And yet, her blue orbs flickered to the door for a moment too long and she was tempted. She used to live for adventure and exploration. The more she knew, the happier she was. She soaked up knowledge - she was brilliant after all. Now, she was on another planet and she would not even get to _see_ what it looked like? _It seemed like such a shame_. She was a prisoner earlier but now - nobody was guarding the door. Maybe - maybe she could venture through the halls. It was not as though she could escape; they were going to blow up her whole planet. Maybe she could play it off as her looking for food or a freaking bathroom. _It was believable._ Plus, she had heard them mention that her non-existent ki (whatever that was) made her seem almost inexistent.

She could blend in.

Bulma should really stay put - but then again, it was what they wanted from her. And did she really want to give them what they wanted after what they did to her?

One act of rebellion to soothe the rage in her heart.

In a last moment of doubt, she closed her eyes and then gathered the courage to open the door.

Time to take a risk.

-T-

Steam coated the entirety of the room as Vegeta slowly emerged from the shower, a white towel loosely wrapped around his waist. He ran his fingers through his thick mane of black hair, the excess water dripping from his fingertips. Once enough water was squeezed out, his hair stood back up like it always did. He had hoped the shower would calm his nerves but it had the opposite effect; he was more annoyed. It was that rude, vile woman. Despite Frieza's reign over his people, he was used to people fawning over him as he remained their Prince. The females also often glanced. That Earthling on the other hand had no kind of respect for him. He was under a lot of stress and ripping her neck apart would fix that.

Soon enough, he reminded himself.

After all, he promised he would find her a quick death. What was quicker than a snapped neck?

The muscles in his neck bugle and he reminded himself that he could handle worse than a pathetic human girl. As he walked back into his bedroom and faced his empty bed, it crossed his mind that a distraction was perhaps needed. While he began drying his wet skin with the towel, leaving his body bare, he thought it was actually an _excellent idea_ \- ripping someone else's neck might help him control the urges swirling in him.

But that thought never went far because he was disturbed by the sound of unfamiliar footsteps. He knew _everyone's sound_ and this was not one he was familiar with - but it was not a dangerous. It was that fucking woman. He wasted no time rushing to the door and once he grabbed the handle, he swung the door open.

And they nearly found themselves face to face.

A yelp of surprise nearly slipped her but she managed to hold it back. She was quiet - how in the world did he even fucking know she was there? She meant to speak but she was rendered speechless by his sudden appearance. _And now that she was getting a good look at him_ , she was startled by his _naked_ appearance. He was bare from head to toes, dripping wet and leaving spots of water on the floor beneath his large feet. His eyes however, spoke a different story as he looked at her as though he hoped looks could kill.

She needed to explain her little walk before he blew up her entire planet. "I lost a blueprints."

She was smart. Was that really the best she could come up with?

"You didn't."

Oh what, he could smell a lie too? She exhaled deeply before biting on her bottom lip. "So it's forbidden to walk now?" she snapped at him.

His eyes narrowed and his control slipped him; he had snapped neck for less than this. Apparently his choice to let her go unpunished for her little outburst led her to believe that all behavior was tolerated. He took a step forward, knowing his strong presence would be intimidating. And it worked. There it was again; the sound of her heart chased away all other distraction to only have her heartbeat echo in his mind. It was different from saiyans, or most aliens he encountered. It was appealing to his predator side, while being soothing at the same time.

It meant nothing to her that he was trying to intimidate her - she would not fall for it. So far, she had stood her ground the entire time and she was not about to let that little piece of control go. She ignored the shiver that traveled down her spine and instead took a step backward. She was not cowering away from him, she was simply leaving - without his permission. She was ignoring the warning he was giving her and doing as she pleased regardless.

She gave him no warning as she turned around, ready to spin away from him. The glares were working but he had actual muscles and power to back up _his_ threats. She did not. Unfortunately for her, she was never given the chance to create distance between them. Instead, she was rewarded by a strong grip around her wrist - one that brought tears to her eyes. The pain nearly made her buckle beneath him but she held her head high. _It was going to take a lot more than that to bring her down_.

As soon as the salty scent of tears burned his nostril, his lips stretched into a smirk. He could feel her quickening pulse beneath his touch and he knew it was time to teach her the lesson he should have given her when they met. He would be forced to spend time with her if he wanted to turn her into his personal technology slave. If it needed updates, if it broke - she would be responsible for it. It was time she learned how to respect him. He yanked her closer, the back of her head banging against his chiseled chest. He used his hold on her wrist to twist her arm behind her back, keeping her locked in place.

"I'm not like them," he finally said as he drilled holes in the back of her head with his eyes. "They've gone easy on you because they think you're useful." There was a slight truth to that statement but if she found out that he truly needed her more than she needed him - his power over her would disappear. "I won't hesitate to eliminate you if I have to." While still holding on to her wrist, he approached her face, his hot breath tickling her ear. "You will learn your place in this castle."

Despite her red cheeks and embarrassment from the close proximity, Bulma furrowed her eyebrows together, her rage slowly rising. She was about to reply with a comment of her own when she felt his fingers trail up to her throat. They lingered before slowly applying a pressure. It did not matter if she tried to fight his hold - it only increased the pressure and reduced her air supply. She gasped, she fought in his hold, she kicked but nothing freed her. Her world was becoming dizzy and she tried to elbow him but she might as well had been hitting a rock wall; her hits had no impact on him.

"Beneath me," he almost whispered as he finally freed her throat from his hold.

What a trouble some woman she was already.

And he slammed the door in her face.

She nearly collapsed on the ground as he released her but she managed to grip the doorway. Her wrist was numbed from his ministration and she was certain that bruises would form on her neck. Bulma regained control of her body and quickly spun around to glare at the door. She hated herself for not reacting but she hated him more. She humphed before holding her head high; he had won this one and she would indeed be heading back to her bedroom. This defeat tasted bittersweet and she would remember it.

He might have won this battle but the war was far from over.

If he thought she would just bow to him like all the others, he had another thing coming.

Nobody treated Bulma Briefs like that.

-T-


	2. Part 2

A strong wind whistled through the quiet night, brushing the leaves out of the nearby trees. Sand washed up on the shore, building up pile of wet sand. The water was drowning the shore, engulfing the feet of saiyans that were standing guard near the tall, imposing grey castle. A faint yellow color was disappearing beneath the mountains and horizon as the third sun finally broke the horizon, joining the other two suns already shining up in the sky. Everything was tones of red as the day finally began to light up the shaded planet. Saiyans were already gearing up for missions and most had left by the time the first sun rose into the sky. Frieza visited quite often and he did not appreciate it when his soldiers lack behind. It gave everyone an extra motivation to try harder.

Meanwhile, in a dark room in the middle of the castle, no light was shining.

And a girl laid in a cot, unable to sleep. Her eyes were blood shot from the night that had passed and the lack of sleep she had inflicted upon her body. When they had first kidnapped her and torn her from everything she knew, she had been choleric, rage pumping through her blood. After hours alone in the darkness, other emotions began to flow through her. It was not a dream; it was her new reality - there was no waking up from this nightmare; she was at the mercy of monsters. There was bile in her throat and her guts were twisted as she thought of what might become of her. _Here_ , she could let herself be weak and scared. _Here,_ they could not see her. But the moment she stepped outside that door, she was at his mercy - and then she had to be strong. If she wanted to puke, if she wanted to cry, she had to do it now.

He was the worst of them all.

She was only here because he ordered it and one day she would find a way to get back at him. He might think he owned her because he kidnapped her and blackmailed her into doing his biddings but he had another thing coming. She did not belong to anyone. She was letting herself wallow in self-pity now, to get it out of the way. Her heart was all the way up her throat and it was the only way to lessen the pressure in her chest. Once she would see his dark eyes again, rage would seep through her blood and she would be merciless as he was. She was going to survive this and she was going to make him pay for this.

It would be the lifeline she would hold on to make it out of here.

She sat up in the bed before bringing her knees to her chest. _They would come and get her soon_ and she would be pure fiery but for now, she would be a scared girl alone in space.

Unfortunately for her, she was not allowed that little moment as a powerful knocked threatened to break her door as it shook under the pressure. They knocked? That was surprising coming from them since she did not picture them as anything more than brutal, rude, uncivilized monsters. Why in the world would they knock? She expected them to come and get her kicking and screaming. This was almost suspicious. Was she expected to open the door, or was she to answer them?

"What?" she finally barked at the door.

She let her legs unfold and then, she threw them over the edge of the bed. She was not about to let them see how broken she was by this. Although, there was still the problem of their stupid noses. She really needed to find a solution against that - she refused to be at their constant mercy. She was not about to let them _smell_ her every time they wanted an answer.

"Prince Vegeta orders you to begin your work immediately."

 _He was ordering her_? They had to be fucking kidding her. They did realize that he was _their_ prince but that he was not hers right? And what was this? They wanted her to begin working but they had not even given her the basic of human survival.

"Well he can wait because I am not ready."

She needed to eat, she needed to bathe… and she did not even have the first clues as to where to find any of the things that she needed. On top of it all, her tiny, closed off bedroom did not even come with a freaking bathroom! What in the world was she supposed to do? Pee herself? They had to eat no? Or they _had_ to have bodily functions. Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized that the saiyans on the other side of the door had yet to speak. Had he been left perplexed by her answer? Surely they expected her to be a good little obedient slave to their master. It worked both ways - she needed them to not die and they needed her for her machine. As long as she proved she could do the work, they would not kill her.

She hopped from the bed and then began to tap her foot; surely they would be breaking the door soon now. And yet, despite how long she waited, nothing happened. _Oh_. They had decided not to deal with her personally. No, instead, they were probably being good little slaves, and reporting all of this to Vegeta. And now he would be the one dragging her out of the room by her hair. Good. She wanted him to know she would go down fighting.

Although she had to get ready - it would not be pleasant.

-T-

_Hurry little monkey_.

Those were the words buzzing in his ears at the moment, traveling through him through his scouter. Vegeta was slowly dressing himself, a scold adorning his features as he slipped on his slave uniform. Today was not going as he planned. He was supposed to set up the stupid woman in her secret lab but instead - instead he would be running errands for Frieza. Usually, Vegeta was not in such a rush to do missions an idiot could do but this time - he could not afford a visit from Frieza. The further he stayed from the planet, the better. Unfortunately, that also meant that idiots would be handling the woman and last time they had proved to be completely useless. Hopefully this time would be better.

He was about to slip on his glove when an annoying presence nagged at him. _Apparently he was wrong_. "I am very certain that I sent you to retrieve that screeching woman." It was not a question, it was a dangerous reminder of the order that had been assigned to him.

The guard cleared his throat, a flash of fear in his eyes. "She said that she was not ready."

"And you left?" he asked, the vein on the side of his head slowly pulsing. Surely he had not entrusted such an important mission to such a moron.

"We were told not to harm her."

"That does not mean you cannot drag her out." He scoffed. "Afraid she'll hit you?" The order not to harm her meant to not kill her. It said nothing about dragging her weak ass out of that room.

"I'll get her immediately my Prince." He offered a quick bow and scampered off rapidly.

 _He was not letting him get away with it that easily._ He caught up to the weaker saiyan in a matter of seconds and wrapped his fingers around his neck. All it took was one motion to break his neck. He let the lifeless body drop to the ground. It seemed that he could not trust anybody to do their job. He had to take matters into his own hands. If she wanted to be a bitch, he would treat her like one. She overestimated how merciful he was. He was never shown any mercy and he never showed anyone any. She was about to learn he had no time for childishness and spoilted attitude. If she could not learn to respect him and his people she would not be supplied with anything.

Fortunately for him, he had the element of surprise to help him. She could not hear him coming. _He_ on the other hand could smell her; she reeked of arrogance. He was about to put her in her place. His gloved hand grabbed the handle and he rapidly swung it open, startling her.

A _yelp_ was heard coming from her as her eyes narrowed on his form. _She did not think he would show up that quickly_. After all, he could not have been bothered to get her. And he did not even knock. His slaves at least were polite.

" _You_."

"It's Prince Vegeta to you, woman."

"It's _Miss_ Bulma Briefs to you Prince of all Assholes."

Before she could even blink, he was standing in front of her. _She meant to snap at him_ but she suddenly found herself voiceless. His left hand wrapped itself around her throat, cutting off her air supply. The rough fabric of his glove scratched her skin as he lifted her off the ground, forcing her feet to dangle into the emptiness. She tried to grab his arms, tried to claw at him but he was putting too much distance between them. _And he was amused by her reaction._ If he applied a little bit more pressure, he would silence her and her vulgar mouth forever. He loved the flash of fury in her eyes; she was fighting until the very end. It was useless because he had the upper hand but it was entertaining.

"It seems you did not take my warning seriously."

Her planet might be fill with weaklings, but Vegetasei dealt with insolence with consequences. Perhaps once she had a taste of the price to pay, she would listen. He could not wait for her usefulness to run out. He loosened his hold on her neck and let her feet loudly hit the ground. He laid his hand on the small of her back before crushing her chest to his. Once his grip on her was steady, he flipped her around and tucked her under his side like a useless luggage. She was waving her arms around, struggling, but he pretended to be deaf to her cries.

" _Let go of me you monkey!_ " she screamed while trying to kick his side. _What in the world did he think he was doing!_ Man handling her? The _nerve_ of him!

As if she could hurt him. _That word_ though - someone else he disliked used it. She was pushing his buttons and she did not want to find out what happened when he ran out of patience. "You cannot hurt me you foolish woman."

Her fists and punches were mere tickles to him. He could kill her for attempting to harm him but that would mean considering her as a threat and she was not. She did not have enough strength in her to ever endanger him. Plus, if he used up his worst punishments now, he would have to kill her much sooner than anticipated and he wanted to avoid that. One step at a time. She appeared to be a high maintenance _female_ and he was convinced she would not be pleased with her new accommodations.

 _"PUT ME DOWN!"_ she shrieked.

He felt a pounding in his head and he glared; she was giving him a headache. _There was always ways to shut her down_. A smirk stretched his lips and while she was busy making his ears bleed, he whooshed his tail around until he wrapped it around her head. He allowed it to come close to her mouth, shutting her lips and fully covering them with his furry appendage. He made sure to apply enough pressure so that she could not _bite_ and then he kept heading towards the lower floor.

Regardless of his actions, she silently screamed and kicked the whole way.

-T-

"You're late little monkey."

Frieza spun around on his chair, turning to look at his precious little pet. He did not miss the squeaking coming from Vegeta's spandex gloves as he crisped his hands into fists. He took pleasure in watching him hold back the fury growing inside of him. He was waiting for the day he would step out of line. The saiyans were useless but they were not necessary. He could easily find other _thing_ s to take care of his problem.

Vegeta on the other hand was trembling with rage. He knew what was coming next; he would have to do something that broke him inside every day. He would have to bow to the monster that enslaved his entire planet. Before, when he was younger and reckless, he would use fight it, he used to take every beating and every punishment that was thrown his way. He learned. There was no point in wasting all of his energy getting beaten up. It was preventing him from getting stronger. He learned to sacrifice his pride, no matter how much it killed him, and he learned to choose his battles.

And despite knowing all that, he still had yet to bow.

"You know better, _monkey_."

His fists were shaking by his sides and despite how much Frieza wanted him to look down, he never did. He did however let his knee lower to the ground until it hit the cold hard floor. After a moment, he had no other choices; he dipped his head forward, his imposing mane of hair still pointing towards the ceiling.

"Gouru, bring Vegeta to his pod," Frieza said as he brought his wine glass to his lips. "And remember, I want the device and _only_ the device. There better be nothing more than dust left when you are done or it is _your_ home that will be nothing more than dust."

The constant threats, the blackmail. It was all he ever heard from the very beginning.

_"So this is what a monkey prince looks like? How disappointing!"_

_Frieza walked around Vegeta, each of his steps causing the ground beneath him to grumble. His tail was dragging behind him, reinforcing his dominance over the proud little saiyan. Honestly, he had heard the rumors and he expected more than a short angry little boy. However, he remained a child which was more useless to him than the old king. He could not be turned into anything. This little one he could turn into a perfect soldier. If he kept dangling the fate of his world in front of him, he would do as he said. He would tell him to jump, and he would ask how high. It was perfect._

_"I could kill you."_

_Frieza laughed at the response._ _Yes, he could turn him into a killing machine._

_"Vegeta!" his father scolded._

_He was the representation of saiyan pride and he knew how important it was to never back down from a fight. However, he could not afford to do the same kind of recklessness as the other saiyans. His mistake could cost his people his life and his planet would pay the price. He could not let them all die. They would not lay down, they would fight eventually and win the war but they would not win_ this _battle. They had to wait._

_"He's pathetic. Look at him, we can kill him." His people were strong, his people were leader and fighters. Why were they all so scared of some useless lizard? He was nothing compared to them._

_"Is that so?" Frieza inquired, clearly amused. He enjoyed this, he enjoyed the fight back. He would love crushing every single one of them._

_If his father wanted to be weak, it did not concern him; he opted for a win. He shifted in his stance, changing for an offensive one. He would not let this lizard disrespect his people. They were the most powerful race in the world and they did not bow to anyone._ He would claim what was his _. He would be a leader in the place of his father._

_"Do you see that extra sun that floats near your planet?"_

_He frowned, doubting him for a second; he was trying to use a dirty trick to distract him. However, Frieza's glance never wavered, forcing him to tilt his head slightly. He wanted to keep an eye on his enemy. Although once he finally caught sight of a giant red ball shining in the emptiness of space, he was forced to completely turn it. At first he mistakes it for a sun but he quickly rectify his mistake; it was a giant ki ball. And it was even bigger htan the whole planet. If it approached Vegetasei… or if it landed… it would destroy it completely._

_"Take one more step and it's gone," he added, his tone changing. Now it was colder, menacing, finally showing a glimpse of who he was beneath the smirk. Frieza's eyes glowed red with a thirst of power Vegeta had never seen before. Not even in his own eyes._

_"That's a good boy," Frieza added as Vegeta lowered his fists back down._

_"Bring him to the cell."_

_It was now King Vegeta's turn to frown at Frieza's words. "The cell?"_

_"Is there a problem?"_

_For a moment, there was silence._

_"No."_

_"I didn't think so."_

"You can rise now."

And Vegeta did.

"Remember little monkey. Be a good boy or it will be gone before you can even return."

A toy, a pet. It was all he was to him. He had no sense of control, no power over his own life. The only power he had was to live long enough to finally get his revenge

And it would be _bloody_.

-T-

Two days.

He always terminated planets quickly for Frieza but never this quickly. He did not even know how he was able to get there and back this rapidly. Then again, Frieza had limited his options; he was pressing for time. His gravity room should be well on its way by now and instead, the useless woman had not even begun her work on it. Although, two days with no food - that had to break down that attitude of her. Any weakling could easily be broken. He had done it a thousand times. Luckily for her, he was in a kind, forgiving mood. His body, his skin; they were stained with the blood of his enemies. The warmth and the scent of blood permitted him to unleash all of the build up tension he had because of Frieza. He relished in taking a life and destroying a planet - it was the most relaxing thing he had ever done.

If he had to be a slave, they all had to pay the price.

Upon his return, he was greeted by a familiar face.

"Prince Vegeta."

"Not now Raditz."

"There has been a problem."

A problem. He did not enjoy the sound of that sentence. Had he not have enough problems already? He stopped in his tracks, his boot clacking against the flooring as he halted. His onyx eyes narrowed and his eyes focused on Raditz's form. His long hair, his broken down brown armor. _He was useless_. "What kind of problem?" He knew the answer but he asked regardless. Only one thing could be a problem.

"It's the woman."

 _Oh for fuck's sake._ They were actually all admitting to their failure. "Are you telling me that a _planet_ of saiyans could not handle one mere weakling?"

"We were ordered not to kill her."

Same fucking sentence. "That does not mean you cannot control her." Had he not explained that to another moron already? _Right, he had killed him_. Then again, it should have sent a clear message. But he had more important thing to focus on; the cell did not break her. If they had troubles with her it meant that his little plan failed to break her spirits. She was supposed to be broken and obedient and instead he was stuck with the same stubborn woman. _How could they let this happen_?

He was already behind on everything that needed to be done. Did it seem like he could waste more of his time trying to control her? How could she cause so much chaos when she was so easy to kill? What about her made her think she was invincible? His uncontrollable rage created waves of ki and it assured that everyone remained out of his way. It was bad because they might wonder where he was heading but he did not care. If they could not shut her up, he would. His steps were quick and it did not take him long to reach the lower dungeons of the castle. Once he arrived, he say that two saiyans were wasting their time watching over that pathetic human. It was a disgrace.

Vegeta glared down at the saiyan standing in front of him. It hardly mattered that he towered over him. "Move," he ordered as he nearly walked through him.

He obeyed and fearing for his life, the other one moved as well.

As they freed space in front of him, the old rusty bars were revealed to his eyes. He could see her blue hair sticking through them while her back was pressed to them. He expected her to turn around, to beg for her freedom but instead, she completely refused to acknowledge his presence. Apparently his punishment failed to fix her awful attitude.

"Get up," he ordered.

Once again, she refused to listen. He was dangling the fate of her useless, pathetic world above her head and yet, she insisted on defying him. If she thought he was going to keep on wasting time, she had another thing coming. He was done being _nice_. He grabbed a bar with his bare hands and the metal screamed beneath his touch. All it took was one yank for it to rip away from the rest of the cell. Because she had opted to turn her back on him, she was given no time to brace herself and ended up hitting the ground, head first. She yelped in pain as a throbbing spread from the base of her skull to the front of her head.

Instead of ordering her to get up again, he took matters into his own hands; he grabbed her arm and yanked her up.

"That hurts you jerk."

" _Shut up_ ," he warned, whispering into her ear. "I gave you a chance to get up on your own." She needed to learn her place and then, _maybe_ he would not make her life a living hell.

"Why would I listen to _you_?" She snatched her arm away from him and he let her. "And HEY! I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to _die_ ! And that's exactly what's going to happen if you don't feed me! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT FOOD IS?" She scoffed. "You need me."

She was clearly trying to be amusing if she thought any of that was true.

"I own _your_ life and the life of all your stupid useless race."

"You might be blackmailing me but it doesn't mean that you own me."

"That is exactly what he means." He could not believe that weak creatures like humans never experience the true fear and power of another race. They could be decimated in the blink of an eye and yet they believed themselves so superior. "I don't give a fuck about what you want. You obey or they die."

"If you kill them I won't help you."

"I'll kill _you_ , blow up your planet, use your father and then kill him." Did she think he had mercy in him? Did she think she could find kindness in his heart? He never had any.

She did try; she searched his soulless eyes for a sign that there was humanity in him. It was impossible that he could wipe an entire world into oblivion without caring. And yet, as she stared into the darkness of his orbs, all she saw was the reflection of her own blue eyes. _There was nothing good in him_. All she could see was a burning fire of rage, one that promised to live up to all the threats he had made so far.

She shivered.

And he saw it.

She wanted to fight, she wanted to scream until his ears were bleeding. She needed someone to tell her the nightmare was over and that she could return home. _Fine_ , she had to work for him. She had asserted a certain dominance and he knew that his little tricks could not break her. She would work for him but she would never bow to him. She belonged to herself and no one else.

"You don't own me," she repeated - more for her sake than his.

He was about to glare at her to remind her of her position when he saw a flash in her eyes, a flash he recognized; forced submission. She was picking her battles. _He quickly dismissed it_ ; they were not the same. Her life was easy - she grew up in luxury and clearly she had grown to believe she was more important than he was. The cell he had shoved her in was kindness compared to what Frieza had done to him while he was growing up.

"Your work begins tonight."

Despite his anger, he did not fail to see the dark circles beneath her eyes or the tremble in her body. Her eyes were flicker from left to right and he could tell she was fighting to stay awake and alert. She probably required some nutrients as she had so quietly pointed out. It was another proof of her weakness; he had gone longer than her without nourishment. He should leave her to starve since it would assert his dominance over her but he needed her sharp. He could not afford to let her make mistakes as she built his gravity room. He would be the one stuck in the contraption and he needed it to be perfect.

"Bring her some food and then bring her to the _room_." He fed her because he had to but he would not give her the pleasure of addressing her as though she mattered.

As Vegeta walked away from her, Bulma took notice of his appearance for the very first time. He was disheveled, his hair out of place and stains of blood covering his whole body. For a brief instant, her heart raced; had he been true to his word? Had he gone and blown up Earth without telling her? There was no way for her to know and he would never share the truth with her. She had to hope he was a man of his words. Except she knew he was not. He was too much of a monster to be telling the truth.

The guards grabbed her and though she fought them a little, she knew she could not win. It was fine, they could have their brute strength. They were underestimating her, thinking that because she was physically weaker, she was useless. They were not considering her genius mind.

 _Good_ , it would be her secret weapon.

-T-

Life could not get any worse.

At this point, Bulma was living on the bare necessities to keep herself alive. The first time they brought her food, she decided that she whatever it was, she was not having it. It was squishy, it was purple and she did not care that she was on an alien planet; that was not _food_. All she did was take a few _sips_ of it - enough to not pass out into unconsciousness. As for her living quarters - they were better. She did not have more but she enjoyed the environement a lot more. He had tossed a cot in the corner of a lab and that was about it. At least it felt more familiar to her. Also - no more bars. Instead o that, an invisible force field was keeping her locked in. She had tried to get past it but she had burned the skin off of her fingertips. It mattered not; she was a scientist. She could figure a way out of a forcefield more than a way out of the cell.

He had screwed himself.

The only problem? The toilet. It was right in the middle of the room where all the guards could see her. And she was bladder shy. She would just have to hold it in until she found something better and more private. _Hopefully in the next hour or so_.

"Books, ever heard of them?" she mumbled to herself knowing very well that they could hear her. "Rectangle with words in 'em."

She knew that working on his gravity room was important but it could not be the only thing she was doing. If it were so, she would slowly slip into insanity. She needed something to clear her mind; it helped her focus better. Of course, she did not expect them to understand that.

"You're supposed to work on the machine."

Surprised by the unexpected voice, she turned around. Right there, on the other side of the force field was another saiyan. He was much taller than Vegeta, his long black hair spread like a palm tree. He did however have the same dark as coal eyes. Variety was not part of the saiyan genes it seemed. Although, there was something different in his eyes, something she had not seen in the others. She let go of the tool she had been holding and instead, closed the distance between them, mindful of the barrier that threatened to burn her away.

"You were not brought here to chitchat. Get to work."

She stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice; it sent shivers down her spine. Whenever he showed up, it never meant anything good for her. She tilted her head to the side and watched him as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was dressed differently than before, his battle garments replaced by cleaner ones. Apparently he had grown weary of wearing the blood of his victims. Victims that were maybe related to her. Depending on who he had murdered.

"I can't work with an asshole hovering over my shoulder the whole time."

She noticed the raising of his chest as his anger slowly seeped in. He took a step in her direction, leaving the shadows that were hiding his face. "Do not over value your worth. This is your chance to prove that not killing you for your vulgar mouth was worth it."

Bulma crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Listen buddy, I am the most intelligent woman you'll ever meet. I can do anything." Including breaking out of this hell hole where he had shoved her - but she was not about to tell _him_ that.

If she had been a saiyan, he would have enjoyed her pride and self-confidence. However, it was all wasted on a weak human. Everything about her set his blood burning. Blue. He hated that color. Everything about saiyans was dark and rough and she stood out amongst them. It made her weaker. Her hair was soft - weak like she was. There was not a single muscle on her body and her skin was flawless, void of any mark. One look at her and he could tell she had never been in her fight in her entire life. What kind of message did that send? She had no way of proving her dominance. His scared showed that he was a survivor.

Hers shown that she had been beaten by her guards.

And even those were barely present. He needed her up and standing so that she could build his gravity room. If a more intense punishment was required, he would be the one handling it - not them.

"Prove it," he finally dared. She ran her mouth an awful lot but he had yet to see any work. "And you might get something to eat." Something other than the garbage that could be found on Frieza's ship. Why should he waste good food on her?

"I thought I was getting a team?" She could work miracles but even she had a limit when it came to pulling off this kind of work.

"Soon." Getting her a team was rather complicated and he wanted to see if she was worth the effort. "Do you need anything else to begin?"

She scanned the area again and shrugged. "I'm gonna need a lot more metal than that." This was perhaps the most civilized conversation they ever had.

"You'll get it when you need it."

She did not understand his limitations but he was well aware of them. If he began carrying a lot of materials around, one of Frieza's little spy would notice and report to him. It was already difficult to pick who he could trust and concealing her was a job in itself. He did not know who might turn on him, even if he was the Prince. It was part of the reasons that her _room_ was located beneath his. It allowed him to keep an eye on who was lurking around her.

That was not the answer she wanted from him but apparently it was the only one she could expect. She could begin working with what she had but she did not like it when she ran out of materials. It prevented her from planning ahead.

"Begin," he ordered when he noticed she remained there, looking at him like an idiot.

He felt the glare she tossed his way but he ignored it. Instead, he retrieved his original position of leaning agains the nearest wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "You can leave now, Kakarot."

She heard the guard turn around and leave, the door sliding close behind him. Kakarot; so that was his name.

She was not too pleased that Vegeta would be standing there, watching her but apparently it was her only option. She raised her white sleeves up to her elbows and stretched her arms out in front of her, cracking her fingers. Maybe she could tune him out and instead, pretend that she was at home, working on her own little projects. Although, his piercing gaze, watching every inch of her body would be hard to ignore. He could see right through her - all the way to her soul and it annoyed her. She did not like feeling like a caged beast while a predator was watching her, waiting to kill her.

He spent his time insulting her, reminding her of how weak she was compared to him.

And there was something about his glance. Every time he laid eyes on hr, she felt a rage take hold of her body and it sent her blood boiling. She felt like she had something to prove, as if losing and bowing to him would destroy her. She _needed_ him to know he could not win against her. Where did that need come from? She had ran from battles before, but she could not escape this one. She wanted to win it.

He wounded her pride every chance he had and he dragged her around like she was a puppet put on this planet to serve him. He did not know her and yet he wanted to crush like he was better than her. Well he was not.

"I might be weak but I don't need anyone to help me be stronger." She inhaled deeply. "I don't need to be a bully. I know I'm good enough without having to prove myself."

Her words cut to the core. She heard his gloves crisped but he did not say a word in return.

He _walked out_ \- louder than he ever had. He wanted her to know she would pay for her words.

And she finally let out the breath she did not know she had been holding.

Maybe, just _maybe_ that was a heart in there under all that rage, all that muscles.

She shook her head before scoffing. What kind of idiot was she? He was bathed in blood a night ago. He was a killer, a merciless monster.

Vegeta did not have a heart.

-T-


	3. Part 3

Life here was dull and painful.

Vegeta was true to his words and he did not let her escape the lab. She was locked here, something getting what they thought qualified as food, and sometimes, they would be generous enough to give her some water. Of course, she avoided that as much as possible. Bulma had not gotten over her shy bladder and she tried not to have to use it in front of the saiyans. The only good part about this whole ordeal was that she was left alone, with her invention, and Vegeta was nowhere to be seen. Despite his constant whining and bitching, he had not come to check on her progress ever since he locked her in this cell.

Perhaps all the _awful_ duties of being a prince were keeping him busy. What the fuck did he even do all the day?

It did not matter. She did not care.

What she did care about though, were the possibilities on this planet. She thought Earth was advanced - mostly thanks to her father and her - but apparently she had not seen anything. She might be on this planet under blackmail - and under the dictatorship of a complete asshole - but she would be damned if she was not going to enjoy all the new technology at her disposal. It was such a shame that devices and knowledge like these were wasted on stupid monkeys who could not even appreciate them. The possibilities here were endless and if she could just figure out how to decipher this damn alien language, she could broaden her horizon even more. So what if she got a little side tracked from building the gravity room? It was not like the _highness_ was here to supervise her and her guards did not know the first thing about what she was supposed to build.

The only people who might notice where her team of two scientists. Although, even them might not realize. They were scientists, as she had asked, but they were not the brightest of the bunch. On top of a lousy team, the material she needed was not coming in as rapidly as she had hoped. He had promised her she would get what she would need when she needed it but - apparently he was not keeping his word. He did not seem to be very good at that. She could not understand; it was so important to him and he was wasting precious time. She had seen all the supplies laying around when she had ventured into the castle. Why could he simply not bring it to her? Why was he not doing everything he could to speed up the process?

Plus, she was slightly going mad in here.

Her team probably saw her as weak and not worthy of their time which was why they rarely ever engaged in conversations with her. It was no big deal; she liked working on her own. Plus, it was not like their opinions mattered to her; she was way smarter than they were. But, she did miss being able to talk. If she talked to herself, they shot her dirty looks and all the sudden the security on her was tightened. Did they not understand that it was part of the inventing process? She needed to lay out her ideas to see if they made sense. She also needed an outlet for all of her rage. Of course, she did not expect primitive monkeys to understand any of that.

The sound of metal clacking together echoed through the vicinity and pulled her out of her thoughts. She tilted her head forward, blue bangs covering her eyes and she found herself staring at one of her assistants. She was much older than Bulma, rather tall with short, spiky black hair. Gine? She was not sure. Nobody introduced themselves to her. The only reason she had a vague memory of all their names was because Kakarot had introduced them to her. He was actually the only one who ever talked to her. Short conversations with him and her verbal spats with Vegeta were the only thing that kept her sane. Talking to Vegeta always got her blood pumping but it was a rush of adrenaline she had not experienced in a long time. She had tried to not let it get to her, but the moment he spoke, insults flew out of her mouth.

Maybe she had finally managed to hurt his ego and it was why his appearances were so scarce. But really, what did he expect? You cannot kidnap and blackmail someone and expect respect. Real life did not work like that.

Plus, there was no way she hurt his feelings; he was a robot who could not feel.

"And you dare to call yourself a genius."

The sound of the familiar, deep voice sent her hands crisping into fists and her cheeks became the color of rage. She turned her head, blue strands of hair swaying to the side. _She knew he had not just come in here to insult her work_. She dropped the electronic panel she had been holding and she furrowed her eyebrows, her hands finding her hips. " _Maybe_ if someone actually gave me what I needed, I could do some work around here."

 _He_ kept her short on materials and _he_ was bitching? Asshole.

His form came out of the shadows as he approached the barrier of the cell. The light coming from it illuminated his face, giving him an even more sadistic look than he naturally had. "What you are doing is wasting my time," he said as he uncrossed his arms, letting them drop to his sides.

Of course he fucking knew that she had not gotten new materials in a while but he expected her to work miracles regardless. She bragged about herself so much that she should be able to do something with very little. He also graced her with the pleasure of working with one of his best scientists, which was not feat since it could easily attract Frieza's attention. He did not want unnecessary attention and she herself was already a secret that was hard to keep. Her blue hair made her stand out too much. _What an awful color_. Maybe he would have to do something about it.

"Maybe if you didn't give me incompetent monkeys, I could work a little better," she screamed.

His left eye twitched and she knew she had won. A man's ego was a fragile thing, no matter his species. Her pride never faded away when he took a step in her direction, vengeance shining in his dark soulless eyes. _That insult set him off_. He could not hear the word monkey another time - especially not out of her mouth. It was never her voice he heard when that word was pronounced. It was that fucking lizard's voice that would ring through his ears.

"Leave," he ordered, the word a deadly whisper.

All the saiyans present in the room knew he was addressing them and not the blue haired human. No a single soul argued, instead, they stopped all they were doing and quietly walked out before enraging their prince further. One loyal guard did linger however.

"You too Kakarot." He hated repeating himself. She was one little weak human; he did not need someone to stay behind to check up on him. He could take care of her himself. "Now," he spoke through gritted teeth.

It was not like he was trying to hide what he was doing to her. He did not want privacy because it was shameless. He simply needed to relish in this little pleasure by himself. It enraged him when she disrespected him publicly, but in front of his people? It was much worse. He already had one person making sure he felt like he was nothing, and he would not let a low being treat him like he was nothing. He was not nothing; he was the fucking Prince of all Saiyans.

Before she could even be aware of the danger that was heading her way, it was too late. It all happened too fast for her human eyes to see.

All she knew, was that she could no longer breathe. Her back was smashed against a machine, air was not reaching her lungs and she winched in pain. Strong fingers were wrapped around her throat, squeezing, threatening to break her neck. _Not again_. She clutched her hands around his wrists, tugging at it as she desperately tried to free herself from his hold. He knew he could not kill her - why was he still putting on a show?

"Le-let go," she managed to say as she wasted the last of her air.

"I warned you before. Do not overestimate yourself or _I will find someone else_." He already had her plans which was the basis of her work. It might be a longer process if he used someone else but it would not be an impossible task. He would not let her have any kind of power over him. He was the one who decided of her life, of her fate. She had no say in the matter. He would not let someone else treat him like a puppet.

"N-nobody," she began, while his grip tightened. She could feel herself wanting to slip into unconsciousness but she ignored that feeling. "Nobod-y can do wh-what I do."

For a second, she felt his fingers loosened and she thought he believed her. However, his next actions proved her wrong. In a flash, he smacked her against the table, knocking the air out of her lungs. She felt her warm cheek squished against the cold metal of the table while her chest expanded, finally filling itself with air. Meanwhile, tears stung at her eyes, the pain of the hit traveling through her body. Her neck was still pulsing, probably red from his fingers. _That fucking bastard_. He was treating her like a goddamn rag doll and he was not giving her a chance to defend herself. Pain spread in her stomach as she was bent over the metal table, the edge digging into her stomach. The amount of pressure applied on her stomach only increased as he pushed her down even more, laying over her, his body weight nearly too much to bear.

She could feel all of his muscles through the fabrics of their clothes, all of his strength while he covered her fragile body. She shivered but this time, it was not out of pain or out of fear. There was something about his presence that was strong, overwhelming. Her toes curled and she was almost dizzy from the power he surrounded her with, her eyes closing. He bent over even more, his breath tickling the back of her neck. She inhaled deeply again, her lungs demanding more air and his musk metallic scent filled her nostrils. _She pinched her lips, fury brewing inside of her._

Rage; that was the only feeling he was allowed to feel. There was a buzzing traveling through his body, a need to assert his dominance over her. It was not about hitting her, about beating her to a pulp. No, he simply add a _need_ to prove he was the dominant one. Blood rushed through him and he knew he could bend her over a little more and then…

No.

Not that.

He was tired, he was stressed out and - and he had no desire to couple with that horrible exotic creature.

Vegeta released the non existent hold he had on her, and back away from her, unrolling his body away from her for. He did not know what was up with that vulgar woman but he did not want any part of it. She was a scientist and a dirty weak human; she was probably preying on his exhaustion to play with his head. He would not allow her to do so. Why had she stopped fighting him? Why had she not try to kick him?

He had the time to back away a few footsteps before Bulma even stood up straight. Her heart was racing, pounding so loud that she was convinced even he could hear it. This time, his attack had been different. She could always tell that he was out to kill her but his touch had been changed this time; it was weaker, his fingers almost feeling soft. She turned her head to face him - and yell at him- but all she had time to do was catch a glimpse of his widow peaked hair. He disappeared into the shadow and she let out a sigh. She was back to being completely by herself once again. Although, she had no doubt he would send his minions back in a moment.

Vegeta was… a strange creature.

-T-

"You requested my presence milord?"

"Have you seen him?"

"He hurried to the castle the moment he landed, sir."

"Alone?"

"Alone."

Silence befell and Jeice felt a tremor traveling through his body while his shoulders stiffened. Frieza's silence was never a good omen. His bright orange skin glistened with the shine of his sweat while he patiently - and silently - awaited his next instructions. Lately, his missions had involved spying on Vegeta. However, he was not told why and he was not informed on what he should be looking out for in the Prince. Stalking Vegeta came with a load of problems since the _Prince_ was a pain in the ass that never did as he was told. At least Jeice had the fortune of being much stronger than the monkey.

Nervousness getting the best of him, Jeice tucked a strand of white hair behind his ear before he took a step forward. Had his Lord forgotten his presence? From the corner of his eye he could see the Frieza was swirling around the red wine trapped in his cup. _He was thinking_ \- and he was unhappy. When he was pleased, he was drinking.

"That wretched little monkey is up to something. I know it."

Frieza could not put his finger on it but something was wrong with the way Vegeta was acting. Was it the way he too eagerly agreed to every mission without fighting him? Or maybe it was the shine of determination in his eyes? He was not sure. What he did know was that he needed to be under constant surveillance, always monitored. Frieza knew better than to believe that Vegeta had lost his need for revenge and rebellion. He had simply developed ways to hide his stubbornness. Vegeta was not foolish enough to try and kill him - it would cost him his own life along with his entire planet. But, for a stupid ape, he was quite clever. Maybe it was something else he was hiding.

"Get someone else from the ginuy team down here. Keep a close surveillance at all time. I _want_ to know _everything_ he does."

"Yes, milord."

-T-

The light of the second sun shun through inside of Vegeta's royal chambers while he stood near the golden and purple drape, his eyebrows knitted together. As he stood shirtless, the sunlight highlighted his many scars, the signs that indicated he had survived many battles throughout the years. He always healed but the wounds of battle never disappeared. Of course, not all of these had been acquired during missions. His very first scars had been gifts from Frieza. It was to show that he survived, but it was not a sign of strength. It showed that the lizard owned him. Every time he laid bare, it disgusted him. Anger seeped through him and he violently tucked on the curtains, shielding his room from all the light. He did not need to see the sun; he had not even slept yet.

How could he sleep when he was focused on the troubles that laid ahead and that damn woman? He had an excellent self-control, one that had helped him remain alive throughout the years and the struggles. Last night, it slipped him. He almost considered something he should never consider. He turned his head, looking at his empty, neatly done bed. It was always empty. Once Frieza had taken control of the planet, he had made sure to prohibit sex between saiyans. He wanted to control everything about them and that included the expansion of their population. He did not simply slow it down; he stopped it completely. No new saiyans had been born since the night he added that giant ki ball to the sky.

Vegeta was one of the youngest saiyans alive. Frieza had made sure to wipe all the newborns upon his arrival.

It brought forth the beginning of a rebellion since mates could not longer enjoy each other's bodies. They had to remain apart, unable to touch each other even if their bond screamed for attention. It again confirmed that mating was a sign of weakness because it made you depended of another being. He was expected to mate one day - the next queen to be. Of course, that was impossible to do while Frieza was in charge. What was the point of a queen? What was the point of being a Prince?

He was stronger, he was better but he was still a dog on a leash.

Until he was free, his title meant nothing - he meant nothing at all.

He lived each day wishing for freedom. He lived each day under a tyranny.

Vegeta ran his fingers through his hair, flattening it down for a moment. He could not longer stay in this room; being trapped like this brought back memories and it made him feel like a caged bird. Plus, he knew the woman only worked well when she was under pressure; when no one was watching her, she slacked off and he could not afford that. He was more pressed for time than before. Especially since little birds were watching him now. He had to be a lot more subtle than usual. He had been waiting for it, waiting for Frieza to send his little spies after him. He had not seen them per say, but he knew they were there; he felt them. He did not trust anybody and already, it was killing him that he was trusting some people around her. All he knew was that Frieza only suspected something was wrong. If he had known about the woman, he would have dragged her death body in front of Vegeta by now. For the time being, he was safe but he did not know how much longer he would enjoy this safety. Of course, the more the project would advance, the less people would be on the team. He could not let his secret slip away.

One day, he would be a supersaiyan and all of this pain would be over.

He would rule again and he would make his throne out of Frieza's dead body. He would let everyone in the universe know that he was the strongest and that they should not mess with him. He would be warrior, the legend they would all talk about for centuries to come. He would shed everyone's blood, he would take over all the worlds and rule them. Nobody else would be able to steal power from him, nobody would ever shatter his pride again. He would conquer it all, simply to be free from it all.

Suddenly, there was a knock on his door and he growled.

"Prince Vegeta, your father demands a meeting with you."

His weak, pathetic excuse of a Father. He only respected him because his blood demanded it. If his father had been stronger, Frieza would have never been allowed to take over the planet and the saiyans would be free.

"He can wait."

A heavy sigh rolled off his lips as he grabbed the nearest pair of black spandex pants. He slipped them over his naked body, wincing at the friction between the fabric and his skin. Then, he picked up his boots and slipped them on. His armor was not necessary in the castle but he always wore it regardless; a warrior had to be ready at all time and he had a feeling Frieza's little pets would be picking a fight with him soon. He swung the door opened, finding himself staring at a much taller saiyan, his height making him hover over the prince. Unlike Vegeta, his head was void of any hair but he did have a disgusting moustache covered his upper lip.

"Nappa, go check on Kakarot."

The idiot was quite strong for a low class saiyan but he also had a talent for getting in trouble. If he attracted attention to himself, it would also attract attention to his _little project_ and he could not afford that.

Nappa nodded before bowing to his Prince. It took less than a second for him to disappear to execute his leader's order. He was perhaps the only person Vegeta trusted. Nappa had beenassigned to him upon his birth to help raise and train him. The King should have done it but it appeared he had other tasks to attend instead of taking care of his own son.

Despite his reluctance to meet with his father, Vegeta headed to the throne room with his arms crossed in front of his chest. The room used to hold two thrones; a bigger one covered in a gold frame and purple draping and a smaller one completely dipped in purple. However, the moment his mother passed away, his father destroyed it. Since he had already obtained an heir from his mating, he had not seen the point in getting another mate. Vegetasei could be ruled without a queen.

He was not wrong.

The entire castle was filled with a deadly silence which was only broken by the sound of his boots hitting the ceramic. He passed through the multitude of servants and they all moved out of his way when they saw him approach. Nobody would dare stand in his way. When he finally reached his destination he was intrigued to find that the immense golden doors were already wide open as though many had passed through already. He eyed the vicinity suspiciously; this was not good. As expected, the inside of the throne room did not only contained his father; Jeice was also present. On the list of people he wanted to murder, Jeice was quite high on the list. He had been the one in charge of _retraining_ Vegeta when Frieza had taken hold on of the planet. His job had been to beat him to an inch of his life every day.

One day, he would snap his neck. One day, he would torture him until he begged for death.

"Father," Vegeta said, never laying eyes on Jeice.

King Vegeta immediately took noticed that his son did not bow in front of him but he kept his lips tightly shut. His son was too proud for his own good and he did not know when to let go. He was lucky Frieza enjoyed having toys to play with or he might have killed Vegeta a long time ago. Did his son not understand that pride was useless if you were dead?

"Jeice will be staying in the castle with us," he announced.

Frieza's minions usually came and went and nobody truly paid attention to it. They did not like being on the planet any more than the saiyans liked having them there. If his father made it a point to share this information with him it was because he was not about to leave anytime soon.

"When is the goblet leaving?"

Jeice took a step forward, his white eyebrows furrowed. Whenever Frieza would find out what the little twat was up to, Jeice would request to be the one to inflict the torture. He already had his ki blocking handcuffs ready and waiting for the Prince. It was time to add some scars on that skin. Oh how he would relish in every wound he would leave on his body.

"Never, you're my assigned little pet. Frieza's orders."

He would not let his rage show. "If anyone is a pet here, it's you _sunburn_."

"Zarbon is not going to like your idiot." He smirked. He could handle the prince's pathetic insults. "I thought I might get lonely down here, watching all the monkeys dance. Thought I'd bring a friend and Frieza thought it was a great idea."

Zarbon could appeared to be inoffensive but once the prettiness washed off, he was quite deadly. Vegeta knew for a fact that he could take on Jeice but he was not sure he could take the two of them. At least not considering his current restrictions. If they two of them followed him around though, he was fucked. He could not even afford to go check up on the woman. Worst of all, he would have to pull away his guards; if Jeice noticed that Nappa and Kakarot were not by his sides, he would know something was up. He did not want him to g looking for them.

King Vegeta shared his son displeasure for the situation but for different reasons. Whenever Frieza sent little spies, it was never good. Especially considering the fact that they were here for Vegeta. Frieza had already killed his mate, he could not afford to have him kill his heir as well.

"Anything else?" Vegeta asked between gritted teeth.

He needed to get the hell out and as rapidly as possible; he needed to call back all of his people without actually going near the woman. He did not even know how he was going to pull it off.

"That's all," Jeice answered in place of the King. "I'll see you around little monkey."

The day had not even begun yet and he was already living in a nightmare.

-T-

A bright light blinded her and for an instant, she thought she was walking to her death.

Her mind was fuzzy, her memories a haze, while she tried to open her eyes. Unfortunately for her, despite her many tries, she could only see the blinding light. She foolishly attempted to lift her arms in an effort to shield herself from it but she found that she could not. No matter how much she tugged, her arms remained locked by her side. She groaned, too weak to keep on fighting, and decided to simply close her eyes.

"She will be fine."

That voice, she did not recognize.

"Weak human."

That one on the other hand, she was quite familiar with it.

Her rage towards him was stronger than anything else and she opened her eyes again despite the light. Luckily for her, it was being pulled away from her face as she did so. For the first time since regaining consciousness, her vision began to clear up. In front of her, kneeling down with a flashlight on her lap, was Gine. Behind her, there was Vegeta who was staring at her with disgust in his eyes. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest, and his eyebrows were frowned; his trademark expression.

"I c-" but she could not even finish her sentence. Her throat was too raspy.

Vegeta did not bulge but Gine seemed to notice something was off. She brought her a glass of water and touched it to her lips. _Oh right._ She did not have control over her own damn arms. Why again? She had not asked. Because she could not ask - because her damn throat was so damn dry that she could not talk. She meant to speak but decided to drink the water first. She was trying to pace herself but quickly found that she could not; her body was craving that clear liquid and ended up downing the whole thing in a matter of seconds.

Once she was no longer in danger of dying of dehydration, she took a look around. It was then that she noticed that some IVs were plugged into her arms. _They were feeding her_? Panic formed in the pit of her stomach and a real fear froze her blood; had long had she been forgotten in the lab?

 _It was his fault_. For the millionth times, he had - he had tried to kill her. "I almost died!"

He could not let her know the situation had been out of his control. "You should be stronger."

Vegeta was taking a huge risk; he should not be in the same room as her. Unfortunately, he had to make sure she was not dead. It had already taken everything to get Kakarot to her. His _shadows_ had a hearing as good as him and they followed him everywhere he went. They thought he did not know they were on his trail, but he did. It had required careful planning for Kakarot to reach her in the lab, and it had taken an even more elaborate planning for him to come down here. He could not afford for them to find this lab, not when he was so close to his goal.

"Gine, you will keep an eye on her."

Her disappearance would be the less noted. She was a scientists and her motives would not be questioned like those of his warriors and guards. She might even be able to slip in and out of the lab to bring her the required materials. It was not ideal and his plans were delayed once again but - it was the best he could do considering the current circumstances.

"You are not leaving me here again," she warned.

As if she could order him. He was the one giving the orders. "You will do as you are told."

"You're not starving me again." And she had not even do anything this time! The nerve of him!

She wanted to scream at him until her throat burned - unfortunately for her, she could barely manage to hold her own head at the moment. Once she was back on her feet, she would let him know what a mistake it was to mess with Bulma Briefs. She would find a way to counter his power and he would get down to his knees. He was done underestimating her.

"You'll work with what you have." It would take a bit before he could provide her with more materials. Even with Gine's help.

She scoffed. "Fine. If you want a GR for little chimpanzees. Although, I think even _you're_ too tall for that."

His eyes narrowed; he did not enjoy humor that aimed to ridiculize his height. He moved Gine out of the way with one swipe of the arm and then, he grabbed the collar of Bulma's shirt. He yanked her up in a standing position, the forcefulness of his action ripping the IVs out of her arms. She winced at the pain that throbbed through her while blood began to spill.

"You're the genius," he mocked, "I'm sure you can figure it out."

"And you're the prince," she mocked back, "why can't you do whatever the fuck you want?"

If she ever found out he had a weakness, he did not doubt that she would use it against him. It was the same thing he was doing to her, and what Frieza was doing to him. It was an endless cycle of pain and blackmail.

"What I do is none of your concern."

He might take care for an idiot, but she was not. There was something she was missing, a hole in his story that she could not quite figure out. He needed the GR to get stronger. He had left her there to nearly die more than once. And he could not give her all the materials she needed. What was she missing?

"You can't," she finally whispered.

"I can do _what I want_."

"Then do it."

She was challenging him and his authority and he had about had it with that attitude of hers. He had already been disrespected enough those last few days by Zarbon and Jeice and he did not need her to get involved in this as well. He could keep a mask in front of Frieza but whenever he spat with her, it fell. He could not control the rage that flowed through him.

"Yes, maybe I'll get rid of the annoyance."

He tugged her closer, her feet grazing the ground while her breasts touched his spandex covered chest. _He was trying to intimidate her_. Unfortunately for him, he had shown his cards by not letting her die.

"If you wanted me dead, you would have let me die."

When Gine had reported her bad shape, he had come himself to inspect it. Maybe he should have let her die. He did not like that she knew how desperately he needed that GR. He always said he did not kill her because she had not built it yet. Every time she insulted him, every time she disrespected him - he let her live. She was everything he hated, everything he despised put into one weak body.

He wanted to end her insignificant life so that he would never have to see her blue hair ever again.

"At dawn, you get back to work," he said before carelessly dropping her to the ground.

Her ass hit the ground faster than she expected and she was unable to brace herself for the fall.

"You'll get what you need when I say you get it," he reminded her. He would not be judged and he would not be underestimated. He might be in restraints at the moment, but he was the Prince. She would not win, Frieza would not win - only _he_ would win.

And then he would snap her neck and he would be free.

It would be his greatest victory.

-T-


	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All across, I got a little bit of... well, quite a few negative reviews. So, I don't know if I lost my DBZ touch (Or never had it to begin with ah!) - but yeah. I'm sorry? I'll - I don't know. I'll try to see if I can't get it right again... or maybe I'm fighting a hopeless fight. 

"As far as princes go, you are quite useless."

Vegeta felt the twitch in his left eye as he forced himself to keep his composure. As a child and teenager, he used to react to those a lot more, but over the years he had learned to put up a facade. The more he gave them, the more they did it. The more he ignored them, the more peace he had in the long run. Although his patience was about to run short. _Snarky comments_ , snooping around, listening to his every words, following him _closer_ than his own shadow… he was sick of these two. Rage throbbed through his veins as he inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring. He had to remind himself. A reaction was what they wanted and they would not get it. He did not get to retain a lot of pride but what he could control – he would. He would obtain victory through ignoring them.

And later one, through snapping their necks.

"Are you certain that _this_ is what you do all day?"

"Maybe the little monkey is trying to hide information from us - from _Frieza_."

"Come on Zarbon, even _he_ would not be _that_ stupid."

They were not wrong; he had been avoiding most of his usual routine in the past little while. They aspired to learn more about him, about whatever _they_ thought he was hiding. The less information he could give them, the better. They invaded his world, his planet. They did not deserve to be clued in about saiyan culture and heritage. Those idiotic beasts would probably not even _understand_ the complexity of the saiyan world. Although, as their suspicion rose, he knew something had to be done. If things kept going the way they were, he would need to give them _something_ before they went on a quest _looking_ for something interesting. After all, nobody could believe he simply walked around and lounged about all day. He was a warrior - he was supposed to be fighting.

Also, the longer they were glued to him, the more time it would take him to get some supplies to the stupid loud mouth woman in the lab. He had his pride and he refused to let her know she was right. He could get _what_ he wanted to _whom_ he wanted _when_ he wanted.

His patience was beginning to wear thin and it was affecting his judgment. He was not sleeping, he was not training, and he was not eating. There was no way he could rest when all he could think about was ways of avoiding their watchful eye and getting his GR ready. He was restless from the lack of activity and he could no longer think straight as he tried to find a solution to his current predicament. Sparring might help but he could not. He refused to train because he did not want them to know his strength, to see his power. If they saw how much he had grown, they would tell Frieza. Restraint was not an option either. If he restrained himself in front of them _they would know_. And how could he eat when he was so disgusted with himself? Disgusted by what he had become.

He became a puppet the moment his father let Frieza take over their home. A toy that Frieza could amuse himself with all day long. He took in every lesson, withstood every beating and he carried on every task until he no longer was the _prince_ of all Saiyans. The fire of rebellion and revenge burned in his heart but his eyes were cold and soulless. He would get back what was taken from him. He would shred to pieces everyone who stood in his way, he would break all their necks, and he would splash blood until the soil was bleeding crimson. He would bathe in their blood and he wound hang their bodies for all to see. Yes, they would pay the price for crushing him and abusing him.

"What does _little_ Vegeta do in the afternoon?"

"He must not know what to do with all his free time. How gracious of Frieza to let him off the hook." Vegeta was not as fun as he used to be. In the past, he would react to every single comment they would throw his way. It made for a lot of entertainment and a lot of practice since his punishment was to be their personal punching bag. Now, he remained quiet. Although, if they pushed it hard enough, from time to time, they would get a little reaction out of him. And then a beating would follow.

His chest was thrust out, his breathing was noisy and the vein on the side of his head was pulsing. He raised his chin high, keeping his pride, keeping his calm. If he did not put on a mask, they would see the truth, they would _see_ his muscles quivering, his pulse speeding and his tense body. If they even suspected that he was trying to hide something, they would turn the castle upside down and eventually, they would find the woman. He would give them nothing. At least nothing important. He could give them what they were desperately seeking; a reaction. It would hurt him, it would hurt his pride - but maybe… maybe if he fought them a bit… they would leave him alone?

But then he would be sacrificing secrets, like his power level.

Which one was more worth it? The GR or a few secrets?

"A lot of talk coming from two _babysitters_."

Zarbon's green eyes narrowed but before he was able to take a step forward, Jaice blocked his path with his arm. "Little monkey is upset, let him have his fun." Jaice smirked before leaning forward. "We both know you can't handle a beating."

_"What do we have here?"_

_"A little monkey who didn't listen to orders," Jaice replied with a smirk stretched across his face._

_Zarbon titled his head to the side, joy radiating from his face as his entire body tingled with anticipation. It had been a while since he got to unleash a bit of frustration. Nothing beat punching a little boy who could not fight back. It was unfair, it was an easy fight – but it was his job. Someone had to do it right? Dirty work was his speciality and soon enough that little worthless monkey would learn who was the master and who was the slave. He knew that all slaves had to learn to be and behave but - he liked the rebellious ones. He liked beating them to the ground and crushing their prides. If they listened, if they obeyed, you could not take away their joy and their soul. He wanted to fight someone who had something to lose. It made it much more interesting to watch them lose it. Yes, Vegeta was his favorite toy of them all. And he did not think he would learn his lesson any time soon. It worked for him._

_"Get up."_

_He did not move. As he had expected._

_"Get up."_

_Again, he got no reply from the boy._

_As Zarbon had expected, Vegeta wanted to do it the hard way and he saw no problem with that. He wanted to kill the fire in his eyes and so that way, their fall was more grandiose. He would shatter his pride, he would break him until they were nothing left of the boy but a shell. Then, they would rebuild him, they would transform him into a real solider._

_"I suppose I'll have to help you stay down then."_

_He raised his hand and opened up his palm. His smile grew as a tiny ball of orange ki formed above his hand. It became bigger and bigger until it overgrew the size of his palm. Then, he threw it at the boy. He expected a scream, pain flashing in his charcoal eyes. Instead, he got nothing. The boy fell flat on his stomach, a_ thud _echoing in the room, but he did not utter a sound. His eyes were shut and his body remained still. His lack of reaction angered Zarbon and he glared. Vegeta usually jumped back to his feet, or even screamed or grunted. He never ever had let himself stay on the ground. His pride would never allow it. This was now how he usually fought and Zarbon did not appreciate when he made him out to be a foul. He would crush him. He would show him that he could not play games with him._

_He wanted to be sneaky? Very well. Zarbon created another ki ball and threw it at Vegeta. No sound. He threw another and another, over and over again until his own hand was burning from all the kis. Zarbon's jaw was clenched while he breathed out heavily. His muscles were rigid, his posture stiff while he looked at the boy's body. Nobody that small could withstand back-to-back attacks like this. He was a worm, he was a nothing. He was either dead or he had done something. Either way, Zarbon was going to crush him until a pile of bones was the only thing that was left behind._

_Aware of Zarbon's struggle, Jaice stepped in. "Let me try," he said as he cracked his fingers, a smirk on his face. Zarbon was too weak, he did not want to get his hands dirty enough._

_Jaice was different; he wanted Vegeta's blood on his hands. It was not often that Frieza allowed them complete freedom when it came to punishments. He would not waste this opportunity. He would beat the boy up until he was spitting his own blood out. And then, he would wear the crimson liquid as pride. He knew how much saiyan based their worth on their fighting skills. He was about to show this useless planet that their prince had not worth. He was going to be crushed. Too bad they could not kill him. He dreamed of parading Vegeta's dead body around. It would bring him great joy and satisfaction to finally stick it to the little royals. The saiyans deserved to be put in their place._

_He crouched in front of Vegeta and grabbed his white collar. He used it to lift him off the ground. Vegeta did not look him into the eyes, he stared at the floor, his eyes void of any kind of emotions. It would change soon. Jaice raised his hand and smashed Vegeta's face with his fist. Once he got a few good punches in, he began shifting his targets. What was the fun in only breaking one body part when he could wreck his whole body? One blow in the stomach, the other under the chin and then the chest. He repeated his pattern until Vegeta coughed blood._

_"We're gonna have some fun."_

And they did have a lot of fun indeed. Vegeta was unable to walk for over a week. His face had been swollen, beaten black and blue and it had remained that way for a long time. He was refused access to the regeneration tank and he was much weaker as a child – his face took a while to return to normal. He had to carry his shame with him everywhere he went. Sometimes he got looks, sometimes he got gasped. But that day, everyone accepted one truth; Frieza owned Vegeta and he made sure the entire world knew it. He did not forget. He would never forget the blow to his pride. However, they were forgetting that he was no longer a child – and he was far from weak. Their beatings helped him get stronger, but he would never thank them for it. But he could not let them know all of this. He needed to let it go, he needed them to think he was _weak_. It would help him later on.

He had distracted them with an answer. And now it was time to pull away.

He went back to ignoring them; it was the safest path. Even if his gloved hand was twitching and his body was aching for a fight.

Pulling in a deep breath, he walked forward until he reached his bedroom. He peeked left, then right, and then grasped the golden handle of the door that led to his private room. He twisted it before halting. The vein in his neck throbbed, straining the skin. He needed just _one_ moment away from them. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. If he could focus on nothing but himself for a moment, he might just find an answer to his problem. He tilted his head and stared right at Zarbon's green face.

"I take my baths alone."

Zarbon thought he was pretty and he often tried his charms on the female population, Vegeta knew better than to think he was a womanizer. Females were not his cup of tea. He could not pinpoint exactly what Zarbon did in his free time to release his urges and frankly he did not want to know. He did _know_ that he did not want him in the bathroom while he bathed. He had heard the stories and honestly, if it came to that, it would lead to a dead Zarbon in his rooms and he knew Frieza would not let that one go easily. He would be stuck under surveillance until the day he died. He could not afford to make those kinds of mistakes. Not when he was so close to his goal.

Zarbon's eyes flashed red for a moment, his skin urging to burst and transform his pretty face. However, Jaice's hand on his shoulder stopped him. The orders were simple, they could do whatever they wanted but they could not quite beat him to a pulp. After all, if he was too injured to go about his daily life, how would they ever find out anything they needed to know? "Why don't we check up on daddy dearest?"

Vegeta frowned. Frieza wanted them to keep an eye on _him_. Why was his father suddenly being investigated? His father that never said a word out of place to Frieza? Could it be that their recent suspicions about him were being transferred to his father? It did not concern him – his father could handle himself with him. It had nothing to do with him. Plus, he was finally having a moment by himself – he needed that time. Though, he knew it would be short lived. And it could even be a ruse. Perhaps they would simply say they were leaving but they would remain nearby. He did not know and he did not trust them. All he knew was that he would enjoy being in a room by himself, surveilled or not. Also, time was of the essence right now.

Last time he had cut it close with the little human and he knew he could not afford to make that mistake again. Plus, she had ticked him off when she questioned his power and his status. He was not about to let her guess that she was right about him. The less she knew about him, the better it was.

He slammed the door shut behind himself and then proceeded to walk to the window. He pressed his palms to the glass and stared at his destroyed planet. Rage spread through him as sleepiness attempted to claim his body. He could not let himself give into it. He had to fight it. He needed to find a way to take care of the woman. There had to be a way for him to be in two places at once. At least for a little bit.

Two places at once...

Maybe there was something to be done.

-T-

"Do you know what food is?"

He almost regretted coming to check up on her. During his time away from her he had forgotten how screeching and annoyong her voice was. She was going to aggravate his headache.

"Do you know what silence is?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I do. You have left me in complete silence. Constantly."

"And yet you still keep chatting."

She put her hands on her hips, leaning her body forward. "Listen mister. I am slaving over here. I'm trying to make a machine with minimum material, minimum staff and your arrogant ass demands it as fast as possible. So if I want to chat, I'll chat."

Vegeta was not the best company but at least he talked to her. The other servants and guards were either as invisible as ghosts or they were silent like mutes. Vegeta talked to her. She would prefer if she could bounce ideas off of someone but just getting her brain working was better than nothing. Of course, she was not about to tell him that she required some sort of conversation with him. He would like that a little too much and she had noticed that his ego did not need more stroking. It was fine as it was.

He wanted to argue with her, he wanted to give her a lesson - one she might remember this time, but he was running out of time. His little scheme would only work for so long and if it was found out the consequences would be dire. He was playing his one hidden trick and he could not afford to lose it. "You'll get food when you get work done," he snapped. He needed to get his guards on a better schedule and he needed to find a better way for them to get her food. One thing at a time.

"I'd _get_ work done, if I _got_ some material," she snappily replied as she tilted her head away from him. He was not a smart dictator if he thought she could get her work done while starving to death.

"It's on it's way." It was what he had spent a good portion of his time on; getting her the fucking material she needed to complete the GR. His time was running out and she was wasting it by yapping away. "I'll be back in a few days. It better be close to completion."

"You're leaving _again_?" For someone who was bossy he did not deliver on his promises and he kept mysteriously disappearing. It was not as though she constantly wanted him around, looking over her shoulder… but it simply did not add up. If he wanted the work to be done when he said so, why did he not simply stay and bark orders? Why did he leave her by herself all the time? She understood that he was the Prince and he had some things to attend… but he was never there. Most, he looked a bit nervous at the moment; his orbs were shifting left and right and he was fidgety. Something was not right.

He was not her favorite person but she had this feeling that her life was tied to him. He might not keep his promise to let her remain alive, but she had more chance to stay alive if _he was_. If something happened to him - nobody would need her. She was a sweet talker but even she had a limit as to what she could talk herself out of - after all, she _was_ stuck on this awful planet at the moment.

"You're the slave," he pointed. "I am free to go as a please."

Except he was not. And maybe it was what was so rewarding about her presence; he could pretend he was something he was not. She helped him keep up the illusion that he was more than he actual was. She was what his world could be if Frieza had not come along, or if his father had not relinquished everything that they had and everything that they were. But it was too late to live in that fantasy world. The only fantasy he could have now was the desire to be more, the desire to gain it all back. She was the key to it all and he had to keep her alive. The thought of his GR being complete was the only thing that had allowed him to make it past the last few days.

He needed to be stronger, he needed the power.

If he could have that, he would never need anything else because he would be able to take what he wanted.

He could hear her yapping, probably bitching, as he turned around and began to walk away from her. If they had not found out his little ruse by now, they would soon. He would need to use it again and he could not let it go to waste after the very first use. He tuned her out, and he walked away from her, his footsteps quiet as he got ready to sneak back into his room.

Hopefully the _twin_ play worked.

-T-

"So where does he go all day?"

"He has duties."

She rolled her eyes. "Yea, I got that. But more specifically?"

"I can't discuss that with you. You're a slave."

That word - it drove her up the wall. She was not stupid enough to not realize what kind of situation she found herself in. However, she refused to resign herself. At least, Vegeta's little absences had left her free to develop some other projects. Since her personal was reduced, she was not as watched - and the guards? Well, they did not quite know anything about what she was doing. It left her free to keep working on the ki blocking device. Of course, she was still hard at work on the GR - since she did not want Vegeta throwing another hissy fit - but she allowed herself to split her time between the two projects.

At least Vegeta had done good on his promise and he had delivered her more material. It was less than she had expected but it was better than none. The GR was beginning to take up a lot of room in the lab and she knew that she had to find a solution. Vegeta would not train here which meant he would need to move it around. The only way to allow it to be movable was to modify it slightly. She might need to do like she did back home; capsules. But that was a problem for another time.

"So he gets to threaten me and my whole planet, and I don't get to know where he goes all day?" she inquired, outrage.

"Yes."

Although Kakarot was one of the only person who talked to her, he was not much of a talker. She contented herself with the fact that he did not pretend she was not alive. The others walked through her and her words fell on deaf ears. Kakarot was somewhat the only friend she had in this hell hole and she would make due. She was trying to seem harmless and she was asking a bunch of questions in the hopes that he would eventually slip up. Although he was probably a great trainer, it took her no time to notice he might not be the sharpest tool in the shed. That was something she could use to her advantage. They were using her and she felt no shame in using them.

Plus it was not like she had any shame left. She was already building a device to better a horrible being. Who knew what Vegeta would do to the universe once he obtained all the power that he sought? The simple thought of it was enough to make her shudder in fear.

"So what are his duties? Does he have to bless babies? Does he - kill things and eat their heads?" She assumed the worst when it came to the saiyan culture. She could not believe that these apes could be civilized.

Babies. That was something of the past on this planet but he could not share that information with her. As a matter of fact, he was almost certain that he was not even supposed to be talking to her. To be fair, it was hardly his fault. She kept talking and talking and at some point, he found himself answering. This kind of duty was the worst for him. He was not meant to be a watch dog who stood in the same spot forever. He was - a warrior, he fought. The thrill of the fight was the only thing that kept him going. Once Vegeta put him here, he took away his way of life. Of course, he would never think of disobeying his Prince - hence why he had immediately accepted the task. It also meant that Prince Vegeta trusted him and he was quite flattered to receive such an honor.

He did not know all the details about her presence and what she was building but he could easily guess. His Prince was playing on getting a lot stronger than he was. He was probably the only one who could take on Frieza. He did not mind the missions, the constant battles but he did not like to see his people suffer like this. They had no freedom, they had no liberties. They had to do as they were told, even if they did not want to do it. And that was something he had a hard time accepting. Whatever he could do to help his Prince, he would do. Although, his days were agony. Sometimes he paced around the lab - even if he was not supposed to - while other times he chatted away with her. That was another thing he was not supposed to do. But she was interesting and she helped his days move faster.

Maybe he could even learn a thing or two. The more he knew, the better he could protect his people, his Prince and his King.

"We don't eat heads," he finally answered. _That did not sound very tasty_. There was not anything good in the head - the brains were often too squishy for his taste. At the thought of food, his stomach began to growl. _Man he could eat_. That was another problem with being stuck down there; he barely got any food. Granted, he was not doing much with his day but still. Boredom made him even more hungry.

Bulma arched an eyebrow as the sound of his stomach growling echoed through the lab. "Glad to know I'm not the only one they are starving."

Kakarot cringed; she did not know _why she was being starved_. Of course, he was under direct orders to not share the truth with her. And he would not betray his Prince. However, he did think that she might be more willing to help if she actually knew the whole story. Vegeta was not as evil as she thought he was. He was doing this to save them. Was she not also working for Vegeta because she was trying to save her people? He knew that she disliked the current situation she found herself in but she put up with it because her people needed her to be strong. It was the same thing for Vegeta. He was bidding his time, waiting for the day that he could rescue them. He simply had more options when it came to letting out his anger. Also, he disliked anybody who was weak. But that was not just him. It was a saiyan trait.

Even him, Karakot, he had been treated badly when he was first born. He was a third class saiyan and though some became great warriors, he was born with a very low power level. They thought they should dispose of him, kill him and be done with it. What was the point of being a saiyan if you could not fight? But, his father managed to have him spare. Everyone kicked him, treated him like dirt until one day he began training. He trained, and he trained until he blew them all away. His ki was now one of the strongest kis and he became part of the Elite warriors. Of course, he remained a third class, but he had found honor in his class. He was more than he was meant to be. Prince Vegeta was the one who allowed him on that branch of fighters and Kakarot would never forget it.

He owed him everything and he would serve him loyally until his last breath.

"Saiyans eat a lot."

"I noticed," she said as she kept on screwing together two metal plates. _She was about to run out again_. She had spent a lot of her time shouting out loud that she needed more but - nobody ever answered her calls. She figured Vegeta had some way to hear her but she had not figure out how yet. "You know I need more materials right?"

"He knows."

"Why can't he just give me everything one shot? It would be a lot easier."

"You ask a lot of questions." He did not know how else to answer her. She was asking way too many questions and way too fast. What if he slipped? Maybe this was why Vegeta did not want him to talk to her… Damn it, maybe he should have listened.

"And also why do I have to be locked up in here?" She asked as she gestured to the tiny lab. "He has a huge castle. He could have settled me anywhere." Yes, talking. That was always the thing that got her brain working and now the pieces of the puzzle were starting to form a picture. "I mean, it can't be because he was scared that I would escape. Let's be real here. I'm a genius. I know when I don't have a chance in hell." Even if she wanted to run away, they would catch her. Her safest option was to stay put and be extremely useful. "And I know he's not trying to teach me a lesson. So what is it?"

Kakarot found himself in a hard situation. She was not allowing him enough time to think and now he did not know what to say to all of her questions. If he said nothing, she might deduce something from it. If he lied and she did not believe him, it would be the same result. He was stuck and he did not know how to get out of it.

Luckily for him, he was saved by the sound of footsteps.

Bulma finally tore her blue eyes away from him and instead, snapped her head in direction of the noise. Everything was darkness and it made it difficult for her to see. She could however distinguish the shadow of a man. She recognized the widow peaked hair and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "About time," she snapped as she pulled herself away from the barrier. The guards might not know what she was working on, but Vegeta might be able to recognize that she was working on something _other_ than the GR. She could not risk being found out when there was still so much left to do.

The footsteps grew louder but there were no other sounds to go along with it.

Bulma could not resist the urge to arch an eyebrow; it was unlike Vegeta to not take the bait. He always loved trying to shut her up. Something was wrong.

" _What are you doing out_?"

"Brother let me out."

That was _not_ Vegeta's voice. Bulma tossed her little device under a pile of junk and walked near Kakarot. _But it looked like him_. Although as the person got closer and closer, it did not feel like the height was right. Vegeta was not that tall to begin with but - this was off…

"Why would he do that?"

"He wanted me to be him." The voice was sweet and filled with pride - something Bulma would never associate with Vegeta. "I was going back to the dungeons."

Finally, the stranger stepped out of the shadows and into view. Bulma could not help the gasp that slipped her lips. She knew that most Saiyans looked the same but this - this was on a whole new level. She was staring at a much skinner, and shorter, version of Vegeta. Except - _he was completely different_. He had a grin on his face, he was not frowning, and he seemed to beam with joy and good will. It was scary to see those kind of expressions on a face that shared similarities with Vegeta's. She was thrown off by it. All she could do was stare and gape. Why was Vegeta allowing another person to come to the lab? He did not look like he could even be a guard? Actually, he looked like he could not do much. Bulma was even sure that she could take him on if she tried.

"You're Bulma right?"

"Hm - I. Yes."

"I'm Tarble."

Tarble?

"I'm Vegeta's little brother."

-T-


End file.
